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Home , A Carol Christmas, A Christmas Carol, The Right to Be Happy

DECEMBER 1 - 24, 2020 | QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE

JAY FRANKE AND DAVID HERRO PRESENT PLAY GUIDE

BY TOM MULA | DIRECTED BY MARK CLEMENTS

www.MilwaukeeRep.com | 414-224-9490 of TA B L E CONTENTS

DECEMBER 1 - 24, 2020 | QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE

Jay Franke and David Herro Present

By Tom Mula | Directed by Mark Clements

Executive Producers Corporate Sponsor Richard & Jo Ann Beightol • Tom & Molly Duffey Sandra and William Haack • Saints Andrew & Mark Charitable Gift Trust

TABLE of CONTENTS

Synopsis...... 3

Characters...... 4 Mark Clements ARTISTIC DIRECTOR The Life and Works of ...... 5 Chad Bauman EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Enduring Legacy of A Carol...... 6 PLAYGUIDE WRITTEN BY Lindsey Hoel-Neds CONTENT WRITER Social Issues in Victorian England...... 7

PLAYGUIDE EDITED BY Victorian ...... 8 Deanie Vallone LITERARY DIRECTOR & ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC PRODUCER Story Theater Style...... 10

Lisa Fulton CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER A : A Milwaukee Rep Tradition...... 11

2 ’s Christmas Carol – PlayGuide Synopsis

with making , his former business partner, Marley in the Afterlife have a “total and complete change of heart.” This is a tall task considering Scrooge is a more Our story begins with Jacob Marley miserable human being than Marley was in life and they only have 24 hours to complete the in a counting house and the classic assignment. beginning of : “Marley was dead to begin with.” Saving Scrooge

This counting house is not the one audiences may Marley and Bogle arrive at Scrooge’s counting be familiar with as the business place of Marley house just as he is berating about and his partner Scrooge, but the counting house his request for a day off for Christmas. Marley is in the afterlife, where people’s deeds are tallied struggling with ideas for Scrooge’s redemption and their fates decided. until Bogle drops multiple hints about “spirits.” Marley appears to Scrooge in his home that The Record Keeper at the counting house tells evening, hamming it up and playing the spooky Marley that he has not fulfilled his contract in life spirit. Unfortunately, Scrooge is cruel and and Marley is covered in the chains of the burdens questions Marley, crushing Marley’s confidence in of his earthly actions. Marley tries to object, but his plan. the Record Keeper transforms into a powerful celestial being, flinging Marley out into the dark Marley and Bogle devise a plan to take Scrooge to learn his lesson. back to his past, just as audiences remember from the traditional story of A Christmas Carol. Marley awakens in hell, with singing ringing in his As Marley and Bogle pursue their plan, the story ears. A miniature version of himself flies out of his takes a different turn, and redemption and the ear, The Bogle, his supervisor and helpmate on his eternal souls of both Scrooge and Marley are on journey through the afterlife. Bogle shows Marley the line. some of the horrors of hell and then transports him to London. In London, they see the helping angels that surround each person and Bogle informs Marley that all of his angels gave up on him. As they look at London from above, they see that Death walks with each person every day. Bogle then reveals to Marley that he can apply for a transfer and Marley jumps at the opportunity.

The two companions return to the counting house and Marley agrees to a new assignment before getting all of the details. He is now tasked www.MilwaukeeRep.com 3 Characters Record Keeper Jacob Marley The administrator of the Bogle afterlife who tabulates the A stingy and miserable deeds of humans as they A demon/helper in the businessman experiencing arrive and assigns them to afterlife. Miniature version the consequences of his their fates. of Marley who guides him actions in the afterlife. during his journey.

A Damned Woman Scrooge A woman whose vanity and A nasty, miserly, horrible greed in life is mirrored in her person whose redemption burdens in the afterlife. seems unlikely as his spirit is so dark.

Cratchit Christmas Past Scrooge’s hard-working and An incarnation of Dickens’ put-upon clerk; a family man classic Artful Dodger, a young who does what he must do and charming street child. to provide for the people he loves. Lee E. Ernst Young Marley Christmas Future A sad and lonely boy who Christmas Present A shrouded, silent spirit wants nothing more than to whose darkness reveals be loved and cared for by his In line with the traditional the horrors of a life with an father. depiction of Christmas unchanged heart. Present, he is jolly and larger than life, full of the joy of Christmas Spirit.

4 Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol – PlayGuide The Life and Works of Charles Dickens Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, England to John and . Dickens’ father worked as a clerk at the Navy Pay Office, but landed himself in debtors’ prison when Dickens was only twelve. This left young Dickens to provide for his family, working in Warren’s Blacking Factory. The experiences in the factory haunted him for the rest of his life and influenced his later written work.

In 1829, Dickens became a reporter at Doctors’ Common Court in Parliament. By 1832, he was a successful debate reporter in the House of Commons. He then became a newspaper reporter. The following year, his first short story appeared and was followed soon thereafter by several other stories and sketches.

Dickens met Catherine Hogarth in 1835 and married her in 1836. He published the first series of in the same year. In November 1837, Dickens published the first of his serialized work, . The Pickwick Papers’ monthly publications were greatly successful, and Dickens embarked on his career as a full-time novelist.

Dickens began quickly producing written work with , , and several other books being published in just a few years. In 1842, he visited Canada and the United States; there he advocated for international copyright laws and the abolition of slavery. While Dickens found many things about the United States unfavorable, he toured the U.S. again with his works towards the end of his life.

In 1843, Dickens published A Christmas Carol as part of a Christmas book series. It was an instant classic and sold 6,000 copies in less than a week. Between travels, writing, and the births of his ten children, Dickens had much to occupy his time, but in 1858, he began touring public readings of his works. In the same year, he separated from his wife to live with , an actress working in his theatrical company.

In the last decade of his life, Dickens embarked on several reading tours and continued to write. Despite health complications, he continued to travel until he collapsed from a stroke in 1869. Dickens’ final readings took place in London in 1870. Dickens died June 9, 1870 after suffering another stroke. His final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, remains unfinished. Charles Dickens. Photo Credit: Getty Images. www.MilwaukeeRep.com 5 The Enduring Legacy of A Christmas Carol A Christmas Carol met great success upon its publication in 1843, and its enduring legacy has extended long past Dickens’ lifetime. A Christmas Carol has shaped our views of the Christmas holiday by giving us memorable characters and profound, heartfelt stories that radiate the meaning of the holiday season. Less than a year after its release as a novella, multiple theater producers turned the story into a play, and in 1853 Dickens toured public readings of the piece.

Continuing as a Christmas classic for 160 years, A Christmas Carol has since been adapted into multiple mediums ranging from films to television show episodes, comics, and other literary adaptations. Adaptations of this classic tale number in the hundreds or perhaps thousands. The themes of goodwill, charity, and the power of the Christmas spirit have made A Christmas Carol an appealing story for many different audiences and interpretations. Select Film Adaptations Select Television Adaptations

Scrooge, or Marley’s (1901) Dozens of television shows have done episodes that (1916) are based on the story of A Christmas Carol such as Mr. Belvedere, A Different World, Dr. Who, The Simpsons, The A Christmas Carol (1938) Jetsons, The Odd Couple, Sanford and Son, and many Scrooge (1951) more. Scrooge (1970 musical) Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol (1962) (1988) The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) A Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994) Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009) An American Christmas Carol (1979)

Ms. Scrooge (1997)

A Carol Christmas (2003)

A Christmas Carol (2019)

Michael Caine and his famous co-stars, A Muppet Christmas Carol, 1992. Andy Serkis in A Christmas Carol, 2019. Photo Credit: Walt Disney Co. Photo Credit: Robert Viglasky, FX.

Theaters around the world present adaptations of A Christmas Carol on their stages On Stage each year. A few interesting adaptations:

The Gospel According to Scrooge (Historic State Theater) A Christmas Carol: The Musical (Broadway) The Scrooge Diary (touring) Scrooge in Love! (San Francisco) A Christmas Carol (one-man show starring ) An Actor’s Carol (California) Scrooge: The Musical (UK) The Passion of Scrooge (opera)

6 Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol – PlayGuide Social Issues in Victorian England The is named for , food for themselves. Conditions in the workhouses England’s second longest reigning monarch, who were difficult, and children were often separated ruled from 1837 to 1901. Regarded as a great leader, from their parents. Public sanitation was insufficient, Queen Victoria worked to improve the lives of the making waterborne diseases like cholera common. poor, expand education, and secure England’s place Lack of proper medical information and pollution of as an economic and industrial superpower. Even the Thames River led to the spread of disease. though Victoria was a strong ruler, many of her subjects led difficult lives, as poverty, poor working conditions, and disease were commonplace.

During this era, Britain underwent a period of rapid urbanization, with the urban population exceeding the rural population by 1851. Much of this change was due to Britain’s , resulting in many working class members finding jobs in factories. Unfortunately, workers in the factories suffered from poor working conditions ranging from a sixty-four hour work week, meager salaries, dangerous work environments, child labor, and no repercussions for abuses.

A poor Victorian family. Photo Credit: Youtube.

Much of the working class did not have access to educational advancement, as schooling was only for wealthy families. Many poor children worked in factories, as Victorian families were often large with many mouths to feed. For those who could afford an education, it was often with a boarding school for boys and in-home governesses for girls. Boarding schools were strict, and teachers disciplined students with a firm hand in order to maintain order and establish authority. Dickens criticized many of these social problems in his works. From the portrayal of the lives of the working class in , to the poor Cratchit family in A Christmas Carol, Dickens Child textile workers. Photo Credit: Victorian-era.org drew attention to the problems of the lower classes with his stories. As a popular and prolific author, Cities were not prepared for this amount of Dickens’ pen gave voice to those without much growth, resulting in limited housing options power of their own. A Christmas Carol: The Musical (Broadway) and inadequate living conditions. London was particularly overcrowded, and many people turned Scrooge in Love! (San Francisco) to charity for assistance with housing, food, and An Actor’s Carol (California) daily needs. The poorest members of society such The Passion of Scrooge (opera) as orphans, disabled, and elderly people were sent to workhouses if they could not provide shelter and Victorian slums. Photo Credit: Wellcome Trust, Wikimedia Commons.

www.MilwaukeeRep.com 7 Victorian Holiday Traditions The Victorian era was a time when many of the “classic” Christmas traditions emerged in British and American culture. The emerging wealth and growing middle class from the rise of the Industrial Revolution led to more freedom to celebrate the holidays. Many people were now able to take off work on Christmas and the following , leading to a growth in the importance of Christmas in English culture.

Gift Giving

At the beginning of Victoria’s reign, toys In England, was originally and other gifts were mostly reserved for part of a midwinter celebration of the return the wealthy, but with the of mass of spring. In the later 1800s, Father Christmas production, presents were more available to a merged with the Dutch figure of Sinter Klass, wider audience. The poor filled their children’s and became known as Santa Claus, complete Christmas stockings (which became popular with the gift giving, reindeer, and sleigh. around 1870) with apples, oranges, and nuts.

Victorian Christmas gifts. Photo Credit: Camden Watch Company blog. Father Christmas. Photo Credit: https://www.historic-uk.com/

8 Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol – PlayGuide Christmas Crackers Christmas Trees

Christmas crackers, which are a standard British Christmas trees became popular in England holiday tradition, but less popular in the U.S., through the traditions of Queen Victoria’s also arrived during this period. Candymaker husband, Prince Albert. Albert’s German Tom Smith found that his holiday sweets were tradition of the came with him even more popular when wrapped in fancy when the two married and the example set by paper and accompanied with small prizes, the royals trickled down to the masses. paper hats, and the signature bang! The popping of Christmas crackers is a beloved treat at British tables.

Christmas card depicting children pulling a . The royal family with their Christmas tree from Godey’s Lady’s Photo Credit: Victoria and Albert Museum. Book, 1850. Photo Credit: Wikipedia.

Christmas Cards

In 1840 the “Penny Post” was created in England, allowing people to send a letter or card anywhere in Britain for the cost of a penny stamp. Sir Harold Cole took advantage of this in 1843 when he had 1,000 Christmas postcards printed for sale in his shop in London. Later in the century, the advent of a halfpenny postage rate made sending cards at Christmas time even more popular and easy. 19th century published by C. Goodall & Son. Photo Credit: Victoria and Albert Museum. www.MilwaukeeRep.com 9 Story Theater Style

Rehearsal for early Story Theatre production. Photo Credit: ViolaSpolin.org.

Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol follows a long tradition of one-person shows here at Milwaukee Rep, but also uses a theatrical style known as “story theater.”

Story theater originated with an eponymous play by Paul Sills and collaborators that premiered on Broadway during the 1970-1971 season. Sills devised the play and its subsequent “sequels” using techniques developed by his mother, Viola Spolin, considered a pioneer in the world of theatrical improvisation. In developing Story Theatre, Sills and his collaborators took fairy tales, folktales, and fables and brought them to life using improvisation techniques. During the devising process, they created a unique theatrical style with its own conventions that has been utilized in many ways in the ensuing fifty years. Conventions of Story Theater

• Simple props are used in multiple • Base costumes are simple. Actors change ways. characters by adding pieces such as hats, cloaks, or scarves. • Narration is important, but is often said in third person by the characters themselves, ie: • Cast members produce sound effects MARLEY using their own voices, bodies, or instruments. Marley felt a bit dizzy, felt a change in his eyes, • is used often to portray props and as he blinked, hard, to clear his vision, and places that are not indicated with physical the world before him doubled, tripled in objects. population. • Actors (when there is more than one • Actors play multiple roles. cast member) remain onstage and create scenery with their bodies, move any basic • Scenery is simple: often cubes, chairs, or props, and create the ambience of the show. benches function as multiple locations.

10 Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol – PlayGuide A Christmas Carol: A Milwaukee Rep Tradition Milwaukee Rep has been delighting audiences in our community with an annual production of A Christmas Carol for 45 years. Take a look back at this Milwaukee tradition.

Ensemble members dancing at Fezziwig’s party, 1977. Photo Credit: Mark Avery.

L. Peter Callender as the Ghost of Christmas Present, 1985. Photo Credit: Mark Avery.

Richard Halverson as Mr. Throttle and George Anagnostopoulos as Boy Scrooge, 1988. Photo Credit: Mark Avery.

James Pickering as Scrooge and Jonathan Adams as Fred, 1991. Photo Credit: Mark Avery.

Jonathan Smoots as Scrooge and Jonathan Wainwright (in background) as Bob Cratchit, 2015. Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow. Cast perform closing of the play, 2016. Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow. www.MilwaukeeRep.com 11 VISITING MILWAUKEE REP

Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Patty and Jay Baker Theater Complex is located in the Associated Bank River Center downtown at the corner of Wells and Water Streets. The building was formerly the VISITINGhome of the Electric RailwayTHE and Light REP Company. The Ticket Office is visible on the left upon entering the Wells Street doors. The Quadracci Milwaukee RepertoryPowerhouse Theater’s is located Patty on the and Mezzanine Jay Baker and Theater can be accessed Complex via is escalator located or in elevator. the Milwaukee Center downtown at the corner of Wells and Water Streets. The building was formerly the home of the Electric Railway and Light Company. The Ticket O ce is visibleFINANCIAL on the left upon entering SUPPORT the Wells Street doors. The Quadracci Powerhouse is ENABLESlocated on the rst level.MILWAUKEE REP TO:

AdvanceTHE the art REP of theater withVALUES productions YOURMaintain our commitment SUPPORT to audiences with inancialthat inspire support individuals enables andThe createRep to community special needs through our Access Services that ✯ dialogue.Advance the art of theater with productions that inspireinclude individuals American and create Sign community Language dialogue;interpreted ✯ Provide a richer theater experience by hosting Rep-in-Depth,productions, TalkBacks, captioned and creating theater, PlayGuides infrared to listening better inform our audiences about our productions; systems and script synopses to ensure that theater Provide a richer theater experience by hosting at Milwaukee Rep is accessible to all. ✯ Educate over 21,000 students at 150+ schools in the greater Milwaukee area with Rep Immersion Day Rep-in-Depth,experiences, student TalkBacks matinees, and creating workshops, PlayGuides tours and by making connections with their school curriculum tothrough better classroom inform our programs audiences such about as Reading our Residencies; productions. Educate the next generation of theater ✯ Maintain our commitment to audiences with special needs through our Access Services that include professionals with our EPR Program which gives American Sign Language interpreted productions, captioned theater, infrared listening systems and script newly degreed artists a chance to hone their synopses to ensure that theater at The Rep is accessible to all; Educate over 20,000 students at 200+ schools in skills at Milwaukee Rep as they begin to pursue ✯ theEducate greater the Milwaukee next generation area withof theater Rep Immersionprofessionals withtheir our theatrical EPR Program careers. which We gives value newly our degreedsupporters Dayartists experiences, a chance to student hone their matinees, skills at Theworkshops, Rep as they beginand topartnerships pursue their and theatrical hope thatcareers. you will help Wetours value andour supportersby making and connections partnerships with and their hope that youus will to expand help us tothe expand ways Milwaukee the ways Milwaukee Rep has aRep hasschool a positive curriculum impact on through theater classroom and on our programs Milwaukee community.positive impact on theater and on our Milwaukee such as Reading Residencies. community. Donations can be made on our website at www.MilDonationswaukeeRe canp.com be madeor by ponho ourne atwebsite 414-2 90-53at 76. www.MilwaukeeRep.com or by phone at 414-290-5376

THE REP RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM: MILWAUKEEThe Lynde REPand RECEIVESHarry Bradley SUPPORT Foundation FROM: The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation The Richard & Ethel Herzfeld Foundation The Richard & Ethel Herzfeld Foundation The Shubert Foundation